Swell-shutter-controlling mechanism



June 17, 1930. J. T. AUSTIN 1,764,492

SWELL SHUTTER CONTROLLNG MECHANISM Filed Feb. l6, 1925 .2d j l I f:

Patented June 17, 1930V vUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ICI-IN T. AUSTIN, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A SSIGNOR TO THE AUSTIN ORGAN COMPANY,VOF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT SWELL-SHUTTER-CONTROLLING MECHANISM Application filed February This invention relates to swell shutter controlling mechanism lfor automatic organs, such as pipe organs, and has as its object to provide an improved arrangement wherein 5 the' swell shutter means may be automatically controlled by a perforated music sheet to effect the desired increases and diminutions in the volume of tonal sounds of the pipes enclosed within the swell box.

In accordance with the present invention, I provide a plurality of instrumentalities adapted to operate, singly and in various combinations, upon the shutter or shutters to move the same to various predetermined positions, and a music sheet having perforations Y adapted, when passing over the tracker bar to .control said instrumentalities singly and in the desired combinations. By practicing the present invention, a relatively large number of different positions of the shutters, and, therefore, different degrees of volume of the sounds issuing` from the swell box, may be obtained;` the changes in the volume of sound may be brought about at various rates of speed, and the ports in the tracker bar through which the instrumentalities are governed may be relatively few in number.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown, more or lessdiagrammatically, one embodiment which the present invention may take, it being obvious that this ydisclosure is by way of exempliiication only and that the 4s truvctureis susceptible of various modications and changes which would be within the spirit ofthe'invention without departing from the scope of the appended claims. For example, in the drawing the instrumentalities for operating the shutters are disclosed fas bellows larranged in compound relation, but, if desired, the operating means may be .in part electric and in part pneumatic, and,

:if preferred, each ofthe pneumatics illus- 4 trated may be controlled through an individual primary bellows. Various other arrangementsmay be adopted.

VIn-sa'id drawings:

Figures 1 and 2 show diagrammatic organizations with the shutters in closed and partly. open positions, respectively; and

6, 1925. Serial No. 7,295.

Figure 3 is a detail view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

' eferring to the drawing in detail, 10 designates a tracker bar having the usual holes ll associated with the note playing mechanism, and 12 is a not-e sheet adapted rto pass over the tracker bar from one roll 13 tothe other one and having note playing perforations 14 adapted to register with the holes 11. The swell box, designated bythe numeral 15, has an opening 16 in which is mounted the means for varying the volume ofthe sound and which means may be in the form of a pivoted shutter, or a plurality of shutters 17 connected by a rod 18.

In the present illustrative disclosure, the shutter means is normally urged into open position by a tension spring'lQ connected to the upper end of the rod 18, and the closing of the shutters against the tension of the spring is eected throughoperating `mechanism comprising a plurality of instrumentalitieswhich are here shown as being in the form of bellows or pneumatics A, B,and C, mounted one on top of the other and varying from one another in the amount to which they may be extended. By way of example, the bellows A is shown as having a single fold;l the intermediate bellows B as having two folds, and the bellows vC as having four folds. The bellgws B may" be assumed as being capable of being extended twice as far as `the bellows A, and the bellows C twice that of bellowsl B. The bellows may b e associated with the shutters in any vdesired manner to effect the proper operation of the shutters but, by way of exemplification, the shutters are shown as connected directly to the bellows by a link 20. It is understood that the spring may be employed to normally urge the shutters into c losed position, and the pneulmatics may be employed for opening the shutters. Y

rIhe pressures within the several pneumatics are controlled by thenote sheet 12 as itpasses over the tracker bar, and to this end the several pneumatics A, B. and C, are respectively connected by tubes 22a, 22"", and 22C, with ports 23%, 231, and 23, in and adjacent, one end of the tracker'l bar, and the i and 27.

note sheet has three lines of perforations 24F, 24", and 24,-adapted to respectively register with the ports 23, 23"?, and 23'0. Each of the pneumatics A, B, and C, is connected to an exhaust mechanism in such manner that when the port in the tracker bar associated `with a given pneumatic is closed, that pneumatic will be collapsed and, when that port isopened or uncovered, the pressure within the given pneumatic will be raised to that of the atmosphere. For instance, the tubes 22, 22, and 22f, may pass through an exhaust chamber 26, yand the tubes may respectively have bleed openings 27','-27", The bleed openings are smaller than the openings through the tubes so that al range inpressure within the several pneumatics, from substantially atmospheric pressure to the pressure obtaining within the exhaust chamber, may be obtained.

` The operation of the arrangement describedV isbrieliy as follows: It will be understood thatthe perforations in the rows 24'?, 24, and 24'c, of the music sheet will be so arranged that the sheet will uncover and cover the ports 23', 234?, 23'0, singly or in anydesiredv combination depending upon the 1 requiredV volume of.y the sound. When Vthe port`238L only is uncovered, thepneumatic A alone will be extended-so thattheshutters ,"will be but slightly opened and a soft tone Lwillbe obtained. :This: condition prevails Y lwhen the perforation`24f" registers with the port 23%. When the port 23b only is uncovered, the bellows B alone will be extended, so that the .shutters will be opened i to a'fslightly greater extent. This condition prevail'swhen 'theperforation 244.1 uncovers 'p the port23-b. 40

The'next position of the shutters isobtained by uncovering, .at'the same mtime, both offthe ports 23 and 23'b,fwhich lwould be the case when the perforations 234 andl24bv, respectively, register ywith the ports 23',a and 23",as 'shown in` Fig'. 2.

,When the port, 23*- alone is'uncovered, then thepne'umatic C only will be extended, bring- `ing the yshutters to the Vfourth position. lThis -will takeplace when'the perforation 24 ,registers .with thehport 237,V The shutters, are causedft'o assume the fifth'v position byV extending both of! the pneumatics A. and i B which Jwould take, place when the perfora- ,tions '24g-V. and, :24137, respectively, 'register lrvfithpthelports 23".I and.23.. `Whenthe port`s124-.bf 'and 2t,,respectively, register i yviitlizthe ports22fhk and 23-c, the pneumatics B and C willbe extended. The shutterswill .be,op'ened tojthe fullest extent when the perforations 24W, 245W, and v2li-W, re-

`jspectively, register with the ports 23, 23",

and 23, in which case, al1 of the pneumatics ywould be extended. It will bev noted that the pneumatics may be so controlled by the note 65 sheet, that one or more of thepneum'atics may be collapsing while another pneumatic, or other pneumatics are being inflated so that differential movements of the shutters may be obtained.v It is, of course, understood that the arrangement of the perforations in the note sheet is diagrammatically, shown solelyy for the purpose of making the description more clear.

From the foregoing description, V,taken in connection with the 'accompanyingdrawin it will be clear that, by proceeding in accor ance with the present invention, the shutters maybe moved to a relatively large number of different positions so that the desired expression may be obtained. There are relatively fewer shutter controlling ports in the Y each varying from one another in the extent to whichthey respectively move said shutters, and atracker bar provided with a plurality of ports respectively associated with said instrumentalities and adapted to be controlled by a perforated note sheet' passing over the tracker bar.

2. In combination, a swell box provided with `shutter means, operating means for moving the same to a plurality of open positions and including a plurality of instrumentalities arranged to operatesingly or in combination and each varying from the other in the extent to which they respectively move said shutter means, and a tracker. bar provided with a plurality of ports respectively associated with said instrumentalities.

3. In combination, `a swell box provided with shutter means, operating means therefor including a plurality of instrumentalities associated'to operate smgly and in selected combinations, a tracker `bar provided with a plurality 4of ports respectively associated with said instrumentalities, and a note sheet passing over said'tracker bar and having rows of perforations,one row for each port.

4.111 combination, a swell box provided with shuttermeans, loperating means there-l for including a plurality of extensibleV bellows varying from one anotherin the ex-v tent to .which they respectively move said' shutter means, and a tracker bar provided with a plurality of ports respectivelyla'ssociated with said bellows.`

5. InI combination, a swelll `box provided with shutter means, a plurality of bellows in and having rows of compound relation, a tracker bar having a plurality of ports, one for each bellows, and a music sheet passing over said tracker bar perforations controlling said ports.

6. In combination, a swell box provided with shutter means, a plurality 01El bellows operatively connected thereto and arranged to singly and severally expand and collapse in various combinations, a tracker bar having a plurality of ports through which said bellows are controlled, and a music sheet passing over said trackerbar and controlling said ports.

7. In combination, a swell box provided with shutter means, a plurality of bellows in compound relation and operatively connected to said shutter means, said bellows varying from one another in the extent to Which they respectively move said shutters a tracker bar provided with a plurality of ports corresponding in number to said bellows and respectively associated therewith, an exhaust chamber and a bleed opening leading from each bellows to said chamber, said bleed openings being relatively smaller than said ports.

JOHN T'. AUSTIN. 

